For Immediate Release – April 18, 2024
Media Contact:
Kane Smart, Enforcement and Litigation Attorney
Agency of Natural Resources
802- 272-7245 | Kane.Smart@vermont.gov
Residential Home Fined for Violating Water Supply Rule
Montpelier, Vt. – The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that New England Kurn Hattin Homes, the owner and operator of a public water system in Westminster, was fined $6,750 for violations of the Vermont Water Supply Rule (VWSR) and has been directed to bring the water system into compliance.
Many Vermonters use public community water systems for safe, reliable drinking water. These systems range in size from small condominium associations to large cities. Owners of public community water systems are responsible for managing and maintaining the systems in accordance with the VWSR. Among many other requirements, owners are required to comply with permit conditions to ensure the system has adequate water treatment and to maintain an approved, up to date Operation and Maintenance Manual for the water system.
“Owning a public drinking water system comes with the responsibility to maintain drinking water standards and protect public health,” says Jason Batchelder, DEC Commissioner. “It is important for these systems to be established and operated in accordance with the VWSR to minimize the risk of potential impacts to public drinking water.”
New England Kurn Hattin Homes operates a year-round residential home and school serving children. Its public drinking water system, which is subject to permits from the DEC’s Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division, serves approximately 200 residential users. During a routine sanitary survey in 2022, the Agency found that the water system’s Operation and Maintenance Manual was not up to date and that the company had not completed in-plant testing of the water system’s filter vessels, as was required by its permits from 2020.
New England Kurn Hattin Homes agreed to a fine of $6,750 for the violations. They also agreed to bring the water system into compliance by conducting required testing and submitting an updated Operation and Maintenance Manual. This agreement was incorporated into a Final Judicial Order of the Vermont Superior Court, Environmental Division on April 15, 2024.
For more information about DEC’s Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division, including information about the Vermont Water Supply Rule, visit https://dec.vermont.gov/water.
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